When I first viewed this logo, I was a bit perplexed. What is the strange, amorphous object floating over 2016? Is it a leaf? An abstract butterfly? Maybe it some sort of duck-billed animal?

Then it dawned on me; its the iconic mountains and coast line that makes Rio such a picturesque place. Once I processed this data the logo become quite a delightful experience.

I like the use of yellow and blue (taken from the country’s flag). I also like the “i” and “1” because they mirror the exclamation points used in Spanish (Yes, I know that the official language of Brazil is Portuguese. Do they use the two exclamation points in Portuguese too?).

Anyway, now that you’ve seen the four Olympic bid logos, who deserves to be awarded the 2016 Olympics?

This logo is very interesting because of one simple fact. Unlike the other bid cities, Madrid chose to have an open contest for their logo design. Not were the submssions from the public, the final three were decided by public vote (think American Idol but with logos). After that, the final logo was decided upon by a group experts.

At first glance, this logo was my favorite of the three. Open, accesible, immediately recognizeable, this logo’s main focal point is the multi-colored hand. Apparently, this hand is to welcome the nations of the world to Spain. There is also some nice use of negative space with the “M” peaking through the base of the hand.

Of all the Olympic bid logos, the type style used here is my favorite of the four. Simple, strong and somehow whimsical (Is that even possible?)

Of the four potential Olympic host cities, I would have to say that Tokyo’s logo might be the most disappointing. While I enjoy the incorporation of the rising sun into the logo, as well as the hairline-thin type style, the symbol of the knot is what is losing me.

I have found out that the knot is in fact a musubi, a traditional Japanese symbol for blessings during times of celebration. While this is all well and good, the symbol doesn’t seem worldly enough to appeal to a wide-range of viewers.

On the other hand, it has taught me a little about a Japanese tradition, so maybe I am being too narrow-minded in my critique of it.

So what is better? To have a worldly-inclusive symbol, or one that highlights the culture of the host city?

Living here in Chicago you see Olympic bid commercials, billboards and signs EVERYWHERE! That got me thinking: Is every bid city blanketing their respective streets in Olympic propoganda and if so, are their marketing campaigns as cohesive as the Windy City’s?

While I can’t 100% say that Tokyo or Rio de Janeiro are blanketed with Olympic fever, I did come across the logos for each of the potential host cities (Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid).

It is a quartet of worldly-flair, and I’ll break down Chicago after the cut!